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Like those across the country, farmers here in the upper Midwest are experiencing the impacts of intensifying corporate consolidation, a multi-year downturn in the U.S. agricultural economy, rising production costs, diminished crop yields from extreme weather this spring and market disruptions due to trade wars.

Dairy farming is an essential part of Wisconsin’s culture, and dairy farms are an economic engine that powers Wisconsin. The state is home to about 7,700 dairy farms — more than any other state — and 1.28 million cows. There were 691 dairy farm closings in 2018, which reduced the state’s total by 7.9% as of January 1, 2019. Since then, another 388 Wisconsin dairy farms have closed.

The telethon to benefit Farm Aid aims to raise funds that provide support, emergency relief and other resources for family farmers in the region. All of your generous contributions are being directed to Farm Aid, a non-profit organization that works to keep family farmers on the land and thriving in order to cultivate a vibrant, family farm-centered system of agriculture.